Die casting devices are used to form molten material such as metal into shapes to produce molded parts. A die casting device may operate to bring mold portions together to form a mold cavity and associated sprues, runners, vents, cooling lines, etc. Prior to bringing the mold portions together, a release agent or mold coating is applied to the mold cavity portions to facilitate the removal of the molded part from the mold cavity. That is, the die casting device brings the mold portions together, molten material is injected into the mold cavity, and the molten material solidifies within the mold cavity to form the molded part. To release the molded part, the mold cavity is opened and ejector pins engage the molded part.
Typically in a die casting process, the molded part is discharged into a mechanical scale to determine whether the molded part has been ejected form the mold cavity. In particular, the mechanical scale measures the weight of the molded part. If the measured weight is correct then the mold cavity is empty so that the die casting device may be reset for another casting cycle to form a new part, and the mechanical scale is emptied and readied to receive the next molded part. Sometimes, however, the molded part may be jammed or lodged on the mechanical scale. Thus, the mechanical scale will provide an indication that a completed part has been ejected form the mold even though the mold cavity has not been cleared. As a result, if the die casting device is reset to produce another part prior to clearing the mold cavity, the mold will be damaged when it is closed to form the next part. Naturally, this leads to increased cost and loss of production. The die casting machine may also be reset because the mechanical scale may be manipulated by applying pressure to the measuring plate. Again, if the mold has not been cleared before the die casting machine is reset it may become damaged during the next cycle. The mechanical scale may also operate slower than the die casting device. Thus, the mechanical scale becomes a bottleneck in the casting process. Further, the mechanical scale may be unable to provide an accurate measure of product quality and production count. Therefore, a need exists for a more accurate and effective means to control a casting process based on the weight of molded parts from the die casting device.